The Deadly Spawn

The collection of extras is as eccentric as the movie itself and it's a wonder that any of them actually exist at all as some of which are obviously taken from the filmmakers' old VHS collection.

There's nothing particularly substantial here, but the best of the bunch is probably the comic prequel to the movie – a hand drawn set of comic-book drawings which explains the origin of the creatures in the film. Second best is the outtake real – not just your hilarious 'japes' on sets, but a look at how some of the very DIY special effects were created too.

There's interest elsewhere though - the extended, alternate opening sequence is equally as nonsensical (and badly edited) as the one which appears in the final cut. There's a trailer (which puts the film, rather boldly, in the same category as Invasion of the Body Snatchers).There's a cute insight into the mind of special effects maestro John Dods, who, in shaky Eighties video camera footage, gives us a tour of his workshop with some pleasingly sculpted plasticine and clay creatures. And there's even some footage of the film's acting auditions. Of less interest are the two commentaries – which are a little dull (although they do contain some nuggets of inspiration for anyone wanting to create a horror movie on a micro-budget).

Last, but not least, are some TV interviews and featurettes recorded at the time of the film's release – the hair, fashion and general presenting style are truly frightening.

The package is rounded out by a collector's booklet - sadly, not available for review - and poster.